Ball-dispensing device for game apparatus



H. C. GRANNIS. BAL'L DISPENSING DEVICE FOR GAME APPARATUS, APPLICATIONFILED AUG-.26, 191s. RENEWED mus 21, 1921.

Paltentd Nov. 1, 1921.

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coivrranY, or rnnranaroms, INDIANA, a CORPORATION.

13ALL-DISPENSING DEVICE FOR GAME APPARATUS.

memos;

Application filed August 26, 1918, Serial No. 251,475.

To all whom it mag concern: V

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. GRANNIS, a citizen/of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball-DispensingDevices for Game Apparatus, of which the. following is a,speciiicati'on.

This invention relates to certa'in,means used in connection with thatclass of game apparatuses employing an alley upon which balls arerolled, and one of the objects of the invention consists in the,provision of certain meansnbywhich a uniform determined number-ofaccumulated spent balls can be delivered to each player in successiveorder, thereby saving much time that would otherwise be lost incountingthe balls, besides depriving one player of the opportunity ofsurreptitiously taking advantage of another by the 'additionof. anexcess number of balls above the .prescribedallotment.

A further object-of the invention consists in the provision'of certainmeans whereby the customary number of balls allotted each player can bereduced, thereby not only shortening the length of time to playthe game,but allowing a greater number of games to be played withina certainperiod of time with a corresponding increase in the earning capacity'of'the apparatus when the game is operated for profit.

Astill furtherobject of the invention consists in the provision ofcertain means of the above character which is simple in con struction,eflicient in operation and economical to manufacture.

I accomplish the above objects of the invention, and such others as mayappear from a perusal of the specification and claims, by means of theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a parthereof, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a conventional styleof a game apparatus showing the location of my invention therein. Fig. 2is a fragmentary detail top or plan view of the ball dispensingmechanism embodying my invention. Fig, 3 is a longitudinal verticalsectional View, on the line 33 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transversesectional View of the ball return race-way, showing my improved balldispensing mechanism in operative position. Fig. 5 is a Specification ofLetters Patent.

' Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Renewed June 2'7, 1921. SerialNo. 480,908.

fragmentary detail plan view of the tripping device. 7

Referring to the drawings, 10, represents the floor of the alley uponwhich suitable balls 11 are rolled, and said alley terminates in asemi-circularly formed deflecting member 12 for guiding the balls 11upwardly and into a ball receiving trough 13. The halls are dischargedfrom one end of the trough 13 into a hopper 14: from which they passinto an inclined ball return chute or race-way 15 to the players end ofthe alley. As the spent balls accumulate seriatim in the depressed endof race-way 15 by arresting their movement through the medium of astationary stop 16, the number of balls ordinarily delivered to a playeratone time rest upon a hinged supporting floor 20 which is suitablyhinged to one of the side walls of chute 15, by means of thehinges 21.The upper surface of hinged supporting floor 20 is arrangedsubstantially in the same plane as the upper surface'of the stationaryfloor 22 of chute 15, as clearly shownin Fig. 3 of'the drawing. Hingedsupporting floor 20 is normally held in its elevated position, so as tosupport the incoming spent balls 11, by means of a rockerarm 25 which ispivoted midway its length, as at 26, in the side wall of chute 15.hiocker arm 25 is actuated by means of a shifting-rod 27 which ispivotally connected to a hand lever 28.. When a player takes his turn atplay he actuates hand lever 28 so as to move rocker-arm 25 from theposition shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 5, whereby said rocker-arm is moved from beneath hinged supportingfloor 20, allowing the latter to move downwardly into a verticalposition as shown by means of the dotted lines in Fig. 4. As the lengthof hinged supporting floor 20 is equal to the combined diameters of tenof the balls 11, this being the number of balls ordinarily allotted toeach player, the above number of balls will be simultaneously dischargedby gravity from chute 15 into a ball receiving receptacle 30 where theybecome available to the player. To prevent a greater number than theallotted number of balls to be discharged from chute 15 into receivingreceptacle 30 when hinged supporting floor 20 is actuated, I provide astop-means which is carried by said floor 20 and which is lowered intoposition as floor 20 is depressed and thereby temporarily blocks furthermovement of the accumulated balls remaining in chute 15 and back of thehinged floor 201 The above stop-means comprises a blade 32 which issecured to the end of hinged floor 20 furthermost from the players endof the alley and blade 32 is lowered into position, as shown by means ofthe dotted lines in Fig; 4:, when hinged floor 20 is depressed so as toinsure the discharge of the desired number of balls from chute 15 intothe ball receiving receptacle 30. After the allotted number of balls hasbeen discharged from chute 15, the player releases hand-lever 28 and thelatter is returned to normal through the medium of a spring 29. Ashand-lever 28 returns to normal position, it moves shifting-rod 27longitudinally and oscillates rocker-arm 25 on its pivot to cause thecurved end of the latter to contact and return movable floor 20 tonormal for receiving the incoming balls 11 freed by the removal of blade32.

Then it is desired to reduce the number of balls ordinarily allotted toeach player, the same may be accomplished by means of temporary stops 35which can be transversely arranged in chute 15 and in the channels 36which are cut in the inner surfaces of the side walls of chute 15. Asshownone of the temporary stops 35 may bearrangedwithin chute 15 asufficient distance from' stationary stop 16 to eliminate two of theballs from the usual allotment,

or the distance between temporary stop 35 and stationary stop 16can beincreased so as to eliminate four of the allotted number of balls to aplayer. By thisarrangement' the operator is enabled to shorten thelength of the games, and rendering the apparatus available to anincreased number ofplayers within a given period of time.

When the game apparatus is operated for profit; it; is; desirable that,payment shall be made by the player when receiving his allotment ofballs, and it is furthermore desirable to collect" the money paid bysuitable automatic means, so as't'o" relieve the operator from constantattendance at the apparatus. To accomplish the above object I providesuitable coin actuated mechanism.

which is arranged within a casin'g lO having 7 a coin receivingopeningAL in it's top; coin actuated mechanism being connected to andactuated by a-hand lever 28'when the several parts are released throughthe introduction of a coin for-the discharge of each allotment of balls.v

Having" thus fully described my said invention, what I desire to secureby Letters Patent, is- 1 1. The combinaton with a game apparat'usincludingan alley for'rollingi balls, of a ball return racewaycomprisinga fixed ballsupporting floor and: a" movable floor, means'forhingedly mounting the movable floor, meansfor supporting said, hingedfloor in normal horizontal position, and-meansfOr actuating saidsupporting means for releas ing; and for positively returningthe'movable fioorto normal position;

2. The combination; witlr a'game appa ratus includingan alley forrolling balls, of a ball return raceway comprising a fixed and a movablesection, means for actuating said movable section for freeing the ballsfrom the latter by gravity; a stationary means for starting the columnof accumulated spent balls at a determined point, and removable meansfor varyingthenumber of balls'usually allotted to each playen In witnesswhereof, I have". hereunto set,

HERBERT c'. GRANNI-S; Emsfi] the-

